About the movie, "The Iron Giant".

This is in my opinion the finest animated film made in the last 50 years. Heartwarming, well written, unusual that it had very little music, a box office flop, but at least made some money back with the video.
Directed by Brad Bird, who later won an academy award with CARS, this movie tells its story in a way that few ever do. It works on several levels from a child's view to an adult, a joy to view and to understand. I saw it four times before there was that moment where I truly understood this great film. I recommend it to all...anyone else out there?

nobody watching it realizes that it stars Vin Diesel. :P

We purchased it several years ago, but it gets viewed again every so often. A great story.

First movie I saw with Vin Diesel in it. At least his voice. :D

If you think Iron Giant was the finest animated film of the last 50 years, you really need to familiarize yourself with the works of Hayao Miyazaki. There's a very good reason many American animators worship the guy. When the guys at Pixar get stuck, they watch Hayao Miyazaki movies until they find the answer to their problem in there.

I don't think I'd be the same person I am today if I hadn't seen My Neighbor Totoro when I was little :)

I love it, my kids loved it and still do, my wife who normally doesn't like animation thought it was wonderful.
We gave it some friends for their 3 year old.

I thought The Iron Giant was very good and was surprised it did so poorly at the theater.

or just the animation?

Iron Giant has top-notch of both.

Everyone should see it.

of the last 50 years.

It hardly holds a candle to Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Akira, Fritz the Cat, Nightmare Before Christmas, Monsters Inc., Allegro non Troppo, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Wizards, and some others.

It's up there, though.

I'm kinda scared to. Seems depressing. I really enjoyed Spirited Away.

I think the story of Iron Giant is a good one, but the animation isn't the best.

My son and I watch a lot of anime together. Loved Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's delivery service. I almost regret letting him watch Grave of the Fireflies, it was that sad.

See it, only have three boxes of tissue with you. I am an old, jaded, known for disliking children witch and this movie had me sobbing. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking movie.

..Come on........A universal message like the Iron Giant presents vs Spirited Away??..What is "Spirited"...trying to say? When one thin ks of economy and simplicity in terms of presentation, then Iron Giant clearly is superior. .....and why not the best in the last 50 years?

The complex nature of Spirited Away removes it from any discussion. True greatness is simple, clear, unimpeded. You just know right away. It feels perfect. Iron Giant is the best. But I would put Beauty and the Beast up there right behind it.

How do you figure? So does that mean all literary critics of this century get it wrong and that Ulysses which is one of the most dense, complex books of all time is really not all that great?

Art can be simple and be great but true greatness doesn't require simplicity OR clarity.

Otherwise Adam Sandler and Jim Carry movies would be considered genius. There's certainly no lack of simplicity or clarity there.

Bleh, it was Disney formulaic and boring. The 3D animation in the ballroom scene was well done but the rest of it was nothing special.

Nausicaä is one of my favorites.
I love The Rhapsody in Blue segment of Fantasia 2000.

What?!?!

Iron Giant has a great message, absolutely - I agree with you there. But it's a pretty obvious and self-evident one. Though very artfully done - not hamhanded like a fundamentalist Christian "parable" or something from Reader's Digest or poorly written Saturday morning cartoon.

True greatness is clear and unimpeded - but not simple. For children, simple is good. But as we grow up, and realize the world is more than just ourselves and that nothing is in black and white, simple needs to go out the door and never be seen again.

Simple is not for adults.

Clear, yes. Unimpeded, yes. Economical, yes. But not simple - it is in the difficulty, the ambiguity, the moral fuzziness, the need to think about something, that true art emerges, because only then does it reflect real life. And without reflecting real life, art is just escapist or a pisspoor kind of nostalgic unthoughtful emotional masturbation.

Dick and Jane is simple, economical, clear, and unimpeded. And for children.

Hemingway (also Asimov) is economical, clear, and unimpeded - and for adults.


Spirited Away is a fucking brilliant work of art not just because the animation is beautiful, but because of the story and the way it is told, because it is more than just a linear "Here's the good guy - he only does good; here's the bad guy, he only does bad; the good guy wins in the end".

What is Spirited Away about? It is about a great many things. And that is why it is great. (and please note, I don't think Iron Giant is "simple", though it is not complex - and it is a great animated movie; just not in the top 10 or 20 of the last 50 years).

Our little nieces and nephews love it too.

I recommend this one to everyone who asks if I know of a good family friendly movie.

And... it's the best thing I've seen Vin Diesel do as an actor.

Why,... clarity, simplicity, economy, universal intent of message, presentation, flow and nature of presentation, character presentation..If you cannot feel for the Giant, and his issues, and how he loves his new friend..well..... you haven't got a heart.....

Another sweet one like it, Kiki's Delivery Service. My kids love that one and I still enjoy it every time we watch.

...films that families actually could enjoy together.... apart from the sort of families where all members enjoy fart jokes - there are lots of films for them.

:woohoo:

he later became the British Poet Laureate - you'd expect a good story. (His book was called The Iron Man - not sure why the title changed for the film - to avoid a fight with Marvel Comics, perhaps?)

But that's due to my personal passion regarding creativity.

And of coure, the excellent Mr. Bird was involved in that one as well. I hope he wins another award.

I'm just guessing here, but the cartoonist... Do you think he's the same guy who draws for the Etrade ads?

I've seen one ad with a dancing robot in the background that looks a lot like the Giant. . and there's something about the faces of the characters that reminds me of the people in that movie.

Brad also directed the following films........from IMBD...Internet Movie Data Base..

# 1906 (2009) (in production)

# Ratatouille (2007)

# The Incredibles (2004)

# The Iron Giant (1999)

See post 14 in this thread for most of the reasons, but there is another..At a key point in the film, the boy turns to the Iron Giant, and says, "You Choose"..
.It is one of the classic scenes in all animation. Perhaps in all films. Watch for it when you see it again, and you will know what I am talking about. Here at this board, most of us know the answer. But out there, many don't. At another board, I use the following signature............
You stay, I go. (If you do not know what that means...see the film..you will)
..........We should never forget that...............Stuart G.

Its a great film, it took me a few watches, to realize Vin Diesal was the voice of the Robot...

When he was 3, he watched it as often as we'd let him. It wasn't a bad film at all and inspired many good parent/child/life conversations.

But the BEST animated movie?

Certainly one of the better ones.